mitzukommen

Mitzukommen is a German verb form used when mitkommen is combined with another verb in a non-finite clause. The base verb mitkommen means to come along or to accompany someone to a place or activity. The prefix mit- signals accompanying movement or participation.

Etymology and form. The word is built from mit- (with, along) and kommen (to come). In finite clauses, the verb is separable: ich komme mit, du kommst mit, er kommt mit, wir kommen mit, ihr kommt mit, sie kommen mit. In the past tense, ich kam mit; the past participle is mitgekommen, used with auxiliary habe or sein (Ich bin mitgekommen). When the verb is part of an infinitive clause introduced by another verb, the form is mitzukommen (to come along). For example: Ich hoffe, mitzukommen. Es ist schwierig, mitzukommen.

Usage and meaning. Mitkommen is typically about accompanying someone physically or joining them in a movement or journey. It can also convey willingness to participate in an activity, especially when the action involves being present or traveling together. It is distinct from mitmachen (to participate in an activity in a more general sense) and from dabei sein (to be present as an observer or participant). Context determines whether the emphasis is on physical accompaniment or on joining an event.

Examples. Wir können heute Abend mitkommen. Ich möchte gern mitkommen, wenn du nach Berlin fährst. Es ist schwer, mitzukommen, weil ich arbeiten muss. Lass uns doch mitkommen. The infinitive with zu appears in sentences like Es ist schwer, mitzukommen, or Ich hoffe, mitzukommen.

See also: mitfahren, dabei sein, mitmachen.